Inter will look to move on quickly from their disappointing Champions League defeat to Arsenal before playing Pisa in Serie A on Friday, says striker Marcus Thuram.
The Nerazzurri were beaten 3-1 by Mikel Arteta’s Gunners at San Siro on Tuesday and were outclassed after Petar Sucic’s piledriver briefly drew them level in the first half.
That result dealt a huge blow to their hopes of finishing in the top eight and progressing straight to the last 16, with an away win over Borussia Dortmund next week – as well as some favors from elsewhere – now required.
Back on the domestic front, Inter led the way in the Scudetto race, three points ahead of Napoli at the summit.
And as they play their rivals this weekend, Cristian Chivu’s side have a chance to – at least temporarily – extend their lead at the top.
Although admitting Tuesday’s defeat was a setback, Thuram says Inter’s focus was unambiguous: “For now we are focusing on Friday, and then Dortmund will be a sort of final.
“When you play for Inter, the least you can do is try to get as far as possible in every competition.”
Training day pic.twitter.com/BP3Cnt9ATf
— Inter (@Inter) January 22, 2026
Reflecting on the loss at Arsenal, Chivu said his team must continue to develop before they can compete with the Premier League’s best players on a consistent basis.
Chivu said: “The level of technique they showed impressed me compared to other teams. The decision is always the right one and they have the speed to find a teammate who can make a run with one touch.
“We stayed in the game and when we won a few games we created chances. But that was because of Arsenal’s individual and collective quality. I won’t talk about how much they spent.”
‘Otherwise I’d sound banal, and I’m not complaining.
“The Premier League is a top competition in terms of intensity; we are not yet used to these types of matches. I try to pass on a little more in terms of certain actions I have to perform on the pitch. But that is not easy.”
“We are trying to continue our growth step by step. It is important to maintain the belief that what we are doing is the right thing.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Inter-Lautaro Martínez
Martinez scored the only goal as Inter defeated Udinese 1-0 in their final Serie A appearance. He was involved in 15 goals in this Serie A season (11 goals, four assists), becoming the first player to score at least 15 goals in each of the last seven seasons in the competition.
Only four players in the top five European leagues have achieved this in the period: in addition to the Argentine, they are Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
Pisa – Mehdi Leris
Leris has provided three assists in Serie A this season, just one fewer than in five Serie A campaigns combined between 2017/18 and 2022/23.
MATCH PREDICTION – INTER WIN
Inter have collected at least 49 points from their first 21 Serie A matches for the fourth time in the past five seasons (also 50 in 2021/22, 54 in 2023/24, 50 in 2024/25).
That’s as many times as the Nerazzurri did in the first 27 campaigns of the three-points-for-a-win era.
Chivu’s men have also won 16 of their first 21 matches in this Serie A campaign. The previous five times Inter have recorded more than 15 wins at this stage of the season, they have won the Scudetto each time (most recently in 2023/24).
Pisa, meanwhile, drew 1-1 with Atalanta last time out in Serie A, but Rafiu Durosinmi’s goal in that match was only their second on home soil all season, and their ninth overall this season.
Inter’s 11 clean sheets in Serie A this season are the most of any side in the competition, so they should be relatively problem-free.
OPTA CHANCE OF WINNING
Inter – 77.6%
Pisa – 8.8%
Draw – 13.7%
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